DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Kang et. al (US 20220019260 A1) hereafter referred to as Kang
Regarding claim 8, Kang teaches an electronic device comprising:
a first housing (220 second housing);
a second housing (210a first bracket housing) slidably coupled to the first housing (¶88);
a flexible display (230 flexible display) arranged to be supported by the first housing and the second housing (¶92),
and having a display area configured to be reduced or expanded based on slide-in or slide-out of the second housing (¶93, Fig 2A shows the device in the slide-in state, Fig 2B shows the device in the slide-out state)
a support (240 bendable member) including a bendable structure (portion of 240 made up by 241 multiple bars),
configured to support at least a portion of the flexible display (¶106),
and to move according to sliding of the second housing (¶106);
a guide rail (242 guide rails) configured to guide the movement of the support member (guide rail accommodates 2411 protrusions which are a part of 240 bendable member, ¶139);
and a support bracket (260 support assembly and 210b second bracket housing) a first bracket (arm and bar structure composed of 262, 263, 264, and 265) including a support part (265 pressing member), configured to support the support (¶123) and includes a support part (265 pressing member)
wherein the second bracket comprises a material (made of metal, ¶127) different from a material of the first bracket 264 portion of first bracket made of and elastic material, ¶131).
Regarding claim 9, Kang teaches the electronic device of claim 8, wherein:
the first bracket (arm and bar structure composed of 262, 263, 264, and 265) comprising a non-metallic material having elasticity (264 portion of first bracket made of and elastic material, ¶131);
and the second bracket (210b second bracket housing) comprising a metallic material (made of metal, ¶127).
Regarding claim 10, Kang teaches the electronic device of claim 8, wherein:
the first bracket includes a protrusion (2262 second hinge arm) inserted into at least a portion of the second bracket (Fig 8A);
and the second bracket includes a groove (2623 spring accommodation groove) into which the protrusion of the first bracket is inserted, (¶132, Fig 8A).
Regarding claim 11, Kang teaches the electronic device of claim 10, further comprising
an elastic member (264 elastic member) comprising
an elastic material and/or spring (¶132, in certain embodiments, 263 elastic member is a torsion spring) disposed between the protrusion of the first bracket (2262) and the groove of the second bracket (210b second housing bracket).
Regarding claim 12, Kang teaches the electronic device of claim 8, wherein
the support (240 bendable member) includes a pattern formed on a surface facing the support bracket (pattern formed by 241 multiple bars, Fig 4).
Regarding claim 13, Kang teaches the electronic device of claim 12, further comprising
a buffer member (polymer, multiple bars made be made of polymer, ¶139) comprising
a material having elasticity disposed on the surface of the support on which the pattern is formed (pattern formed of 241 bars, Fig 4).
Regarding claim 14, Kang teaches an electronic device comprising:
a first housing (220 second housing);
a second housing (210a first bracket housing) slidably coupled to the first housing (¶88);
a flexible display (230 flexible display) arranged to be supported by the first housing and the second housing (¶92),
and having a display area configured to be reduced or expanded based on slide-in or slide-out of the second housing (¶93, Fig 2A shows the device in the slide-in state, Fig 2B shows the device in the slide-out state)
and a support bracket (260 support assembly and 210b second bracket housing) (¶123) including a support part (265 pressing member);
a support (240 bendable member) including a bendable structure (portion of 240 made up by 241 multiple bars), and
configured to support at least a portion of the flexible display (¶106),
and to move according to sliding of the second housing (¶106);
and includes a pattern formed on a surface facing the support bracket (pattern formed by 241 multiple bars, Fig 4)
and a guide rail (242 guide rails) configured to guide the movement of the support member (guide rail accommodates 2411 protrusions which are a part of 240 bendable member, ¶139);
Regarding claim 15, Kang teaches the electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a
buffer member (polymer, multiple bars made be made of polymer, ¶139) comprising
a material having elasticity disposed on the surface of the support on which the pattern is formed (pattern formed of 241 bars, Fig 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang in view of Han et. al (CN 106486010 B) hereafter referred to as Han.
Regarding claim 1, Kang teaches the electronic device comprising:
a first housing (220 second housing);
a second housing (210a first bracket housing) slidably coupled to the first housing (¶88);
a flexible display (230 flexible display) arranged to be supported by the first housing and the second housing (¶92),
and having a display area configured to be reduced or expanded based on slide-in or slide-out of the second housing (¶93, Fig 2A shows the device in the slide-in state, Fig 2B shows the device in the slide-out state)
a support (240 bendable member) including a bendable structure (portion of 240 made up by 241 multiple bars),
configured to support at least a portion of the flexible display (¶106),
and to move according to sliding of the second housing (¶106);
a guide rail (242 guide rails) configured to guide the movement of the support member (guide rail accommodates 2411 protrusions which are a part of 240 bendable member, ¶139);
and a support bracket (260 support assembly and 210b second bracket housing) configured to support the support (¶123) and includes a support part (265 pressing member)
Kang fails to teach the support part having an outer surface formed as a polygon. However, Han teaches
the support part (combination of 530 plurality of center hinge rods, 330 first hinge connecting portion and 430 second hinge connecting part)
having an outer surface formed as a polygon (edges of the 530 plurality of center hinge rods form a polygon shaped along the rounded edge of the 11 flexible member).
Kang and Han are both in the industry of display devices with rolling flexible displays, therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Kang to include the polygon shaped support part of Han in order to stably keep the folded display curvature while rolling from a slide-in to a slide-out state (pg 25 last paragraph - pg 26 first paragraph).
Regarding claim 2, Kang in view of Han teach the electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the support part (530 plurality of center hinge rods) of the support bracket (500 hinge) includes
a first flat portion (330 first hinge connecting portion) facing a front surface of the electronic device (Fig 18),
a second flat portion (430 second hinge connecting part) facing a rear surface of the electronic device (Fig 18),
and a bending portion (plurality of 530 center hinge rods) at least partially bent to connect the first flat portion and the second flat portion (Fig 21);
and the polygon of the support part is formed on an outer surface of the bending portion (Fig 21).
Regarding claim 3, Kang in view of Han teach the electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the support bracket (260 support assembly) includes a first bracket (arm and bar structure composed of 262, 263, 264, and 265) including the support part (265 pressing member),
and a second bracket (210b second bracket housing) on which electronic components of the electronic device are mounted (251 is mounted within the space in between 210a and 210b, Fig 5);
the first bracket comprising a non-metallic material having elasticity (264 portion of first bracket made of and elastic material, ¶131);
and the second bracket comprising a metallic material (made of metal, ¶127).
Regarding claim 4, Kang in view of Han teach tan teachHanlfasdfhe electronic device of claim 3, wherein:
the first bracket includes a protrusion (2262 second hinge arm) inserted into at least a portion of the second bracket (Fig 8A);
and the second bracket includes a groove (2623 spring accommodation groove) into which the protrusion of the first bracket is inserted, (¶132, Fig 8A).
Regarding claim 5, Kang in view of Han teach the electronic device of claim 4, further comprising
an elastic member (264 elastic member) comprising
an elastic material and/or spring (¶132, in certain embodiments, 263 elastic member is a torsion spring) disposed between the protrusion of the first bracket (2262) and the groove of the second bracket (210b second housing bracket).
Regarding claim 6, Kang in view of Han teach the electronic device of claim 1, wherein
the support (240 bendable member) includes a pattern formed on a surface facing the support bracket (pattern formed by 241 multiple bars, Fig 4).
Regarding claim 7, Kang in view of Han teach the electronic device of claim 6, further comprising
a buffer member (polymer, multiple bars made be made of polymer, ¶139) comprising
a material having elasticity disposed on the surface of the support on which the pattern is formed (pattern formed of 241 bars, Fig 4).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Xiao et. al (CN 114973947 A) and Kim et. al (KR 102408112 B1) teach rollable flexible displays with similar support structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELISA SASSERATH whose telephone number is (703)756-5847. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Parker can be reached at (303) 297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/E.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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